Regent told Saban’s agent UT-Austin prez would be gone by year’s end

University of Texas System regent Wallace Hall, under a legislative investigation for allegedly abusing the power of his office, assured an agent for Alabama football coach Nick Saban that UT-Austin would be under new leadership by the end of the year, according to a memo that Dallas businessman Tom Hicks wrote to his brother, Steve, another UT regent.

In a phone call made by Hall and Hicks from Hicks’ Dallas home, Hall told Saban’s agent,that “Bill Powers wouldn’t be here at the end of the year,” Hicks wrote his brother. The issue arose when the men were discussing the best timing for a possible move by the famed Alabama coach to take over the Longhorn football team from current coach, Mack Brown.

“We told Sexton that Mack had leadership’s support to stay, and that I would go talk to him as a friend to see if Mack had any interest in retiring. I told him it would have to be Mack’s idea, and that I really didn’t know how Mack and Sally were feeling about the pressures of the job at this time,” Hicks wrote.

Supporters of Powers, including key lawmakers, have accused Hall of conducting a “witch hunt” against Powers. They say Hall has abused his position as regent to demand voluminous records to find an excuse to fire Powers. Hall’s statement would indicate he was predisposed to fire Powers as he was demanding documents.

Three new regents were appointed by Gov. Rick Perry last February. In their confirmation hearings, they promised members of the Senate Nominations Committee they would not vote to fire Powers unless it was recommended by Chancellor Fransisco Cigarroa.

The Texas House Select Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations will continue hearings into Hall’s activities next Tuesday and Wednesday.

We’ve reached out to Hall for a comment and will update when possible.